Roles of Men and Women Odyssey by Homer - Research Paper Example

Outline THESIS: The much involving participation of men and women in The Odyssey of Homer will be the vocal analysis of this paper. The men and women in the company of Odysseus have contributed a lot to his life during the Trojan War times and the anticipated homage by Odyssey. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1. Introduction and analysis of The Odyssey a) General role of men and women in The Odyssey b) Impact of women & men’s hospitality c) Men as warriors in The Odyssey d) Women’s irresistible charm e) Men as explorer’s of intellectual curiosity 2. Cultural values and gender treatment in The Odyssey CONCLUSION The Odyssey by Homer helps to coin his journey of homecoming through well-placed powerful imagery as this depicts the human condition in such unprecedented way in those times. The Odyssey tries to trace the journey of the ‘storm tossed man’ and his tribulations with different encounters and roles of women and men in that context. Roles of men and Women Odyssey by Homer The Homer is among the supreme written literature works accredited to the blind poet Homer (Bloom 70). It tells of the long journeys by the Greek hero Odysseus and his men after the fight in the Trojan War. The circumstances in his long trek home took Odyssey twenty years. This is because he had to deal with Cyclops, lotophagi, sea-dwelling mythical, and hostile giants (Sai?d and Ruth 65). This fierce debacle does not end Odyssey’s tribulations as he finds himself trapped by a goddess in an island. The twenty years away brings the assumption that Odyssey must have died as his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must now deal with unruly suitors within the throne. This epic poems collection brings out a non-linear plot, and the influence on the events and choices taken out by women and serfs, more to the point the actions of fighting men. The recollection of these poems has led men and women to get involved in different roles throughout the epic poem. In this analysis of the roles of the men and women in the Odyssey by Homer, throughout the Odyssey, one would not fail to notice that different characters, men, and women adopt camouflages to either see to it or complicate their own or somebody else’s passage through the world (Dougherty 110). This is the reason as to why some characters end up in multiple disguises over the course of the tale. In order to conjure up the feasible track on the participation of these characters, both male and female throughout the epic, a discussion of their roles and the implication would be a subject of substance. Moreover, the analysis would not be forcible if the influence of cultural values and gender treatment would not go into account. The analysis in this research paper would therefore help to highlight the multiple gender (men and women) roles in the Odyssey by Homer. The impact of women and men in the epic Odyssey by Homer largely roots of what a reader may term as the importance of hospitality. In this sense, the involvement of these gender roles comes out of the virtue that these characters are somehow interconnected (Sai?d and Ruth 80). For example, one would wonder why it took Odyssey ten years to return to his homeland after the victory of Ithaca in the Trojan War. The reason as to this is simply due to the obligation of accepting the welcoming attitude of the men and women he meets along the way back home. This qualifies as one of the generally observed roles of both the gender in this historic epic. One ought to understand that hospitality is a crucial part of social exchange, honor and the negotiation of both men and women relationships in The Odyssey. The fact that Homer could find homage for ten years of travelling, in homestead of men and women he knew little of highlights the many pre-meditated involvement of women and men in this epic literature substance by Homer (Dougherty 72). For example, among the people who help to highlight the gender role is the mannerism of Penelope after her husband’s makes way back home alive. She is the wife of the hero, Odyssey. At the beginning, while reading this epic piece of literature, one would proceed with the anticipation that this is an epic analysis of a wonderful piece of literature with beautiful and dangerous women. A good example would be the half-wit of Polyphemus, one of the Cyclops. This is contrary to what transpires towards the end of the novel when Odyssey returns home. The reaction of his son, Telemachus and his swineherd is of joy, even the dog can afford a reasonable death knowing its master is at home (Van 59). As expected, the arrival of a husband would be a celebration of the wife, but Penelope dares not. This stems from the fact that many died from the Trojan War because of Odyssey’s sword wrath. It is a scenario where the role of Penelope is not just the wife of a protagonist but actually, she helps unfold the circumstances within that dynasty and the true nature and involvement of her husband. Penelope’s silence was a reproachful one. One cannot fail to realize that this lady was kind of wondering how many more would have to die in order men to live in peace as her adorers’ slaughter came through her own husband (Sai?d and Ruth 112). Penelope thus, as a female character and the wife to Odyssey, helps to shade light on the war in her own perception. Men have not lagged behind in this epic piece of literature. In exploring the Iliad, men have carried the tag of being exclusively warriors, an aspect more pronounced throughout in the Odyssey (Van 70). This is vivid through the exploits of the heroes in the Trojan War, as they are the bulwarks to the Odyssey. The aspect of war is the most predominant theme in the Odyssey. As in those days, in order for one to claim as being a real man, proving yourself in warfare situation, like the battles Homer had to conquer, was the intrinsic part of the process. For example, the purposeful nature of the cattle raids and hostile incursions into neighboring territories is a way out to allow men to prove themselves as warriors in times of tranquility. The frequency and normality of such incursions stem from several passages of the Odyssey (Van 115). As warriors of war, men are seen to belong into the battlefronts as it is only through this that they can amount for their glory and honor. As part of the implications, war extends to men the opportunity to exhibit their masculine power, physical courage, and strength as for a triumph as a warrior adds to a man’s status within his society. A good example is the warlike qualities of Odyssey as seen emphasized by him as he openly boasts himself of his own achievements in war when talking to Phaiakians (Sai?d and Ruth 72). War and men are inseparable entities in the Odysseys of Homer. Men therefore appear to be heavily in the driver’s seat to execute masculine roles and main Odyssey’s thematic concerns such as combat, as warriors and rulers. The Odyssey by Homer, while men went out to war, women stayed back at home, cloistered and protected. In this era, women seem to be of value but only participate in any engagement with the permission of men. In Odyssey, women’s irresistible charm plunge Odysseus into disaster. There are temptresses who hinder Odysseus and contrast with women who rally round Odysseus on his journey home. One of the notable examples is the character of Nausicaa. She was the Phaeacian princess (Van 78). This happens when the shipwrecked Odysseus comes ashore on the Phaeacian side and he encounters Nausicaa, who was in the company of her house cleaners washing clothes. Odysseus beseeches Nausicaa for assistance. She then provides to Odysseus a bath, clothing, and food. She even welcomes him to enter the palace, as she seeks help from her mother, Queen Arete. These women, especially Nausicaa pledged to help Odyssey trace successfully way home. It is this extract that one can deduce the fact that omen play an influential role in The Odyssey. Nausicaa appears as a princess, an instrumental character bringing Odysseus’ homecoming (Homer and Ian 68). The influence of the nymph Calypso serves as that of Nausicaa. She enslaves Odyssey for many years. This nature of women that the epic collection has bordered women as either seductresses or helpmeets, such as Nausicaa and nymph of Calypso are not short of such characteristics. For example, the image of seductress is a recurring idea in Odyssey. This comes from women characters and their role as directed to Odyssey. These women are a temptation to Odysseus. Most of the encounters with these women, Odysseus attempt to reach his goal of a homecoming seems to be in delay. For example, Circle is a bewitching goddess. Just by using her enchanting voice, she manages to lure Odysseus and his entourage into the palace (Homer and Ian 90). In a more dramatic turn of events, she turns them into pigs after she feeds them to satisfaction. Not satisfied by her antics, she manages to lure Odysseus too and ends up completing a whole year as her lover. From these settings, women participate as changers of destiny. Odysseus fate seemed sealed by the enticing nature of the women in her company whenever he encountered their ravishing voices, and their heart throbbing seductions. This caps the rationale as to why women’s irresistible charm led Odysseus to unending disasters. Through the character of Odysseus, men achieve the height of being explorers of intellectual curiosity. For example, through Odysseus, one can see how he explores a wide range of experiences as this helps to enlarge his vision. Even though he encounters challenges and many obstacles in his journey home, notably the event when Poseidon, whom Odysseus angered by making blind Poseidon’s son, the Cyclops. Odysseus however learns from his spiral of mistakes. He learns, most importantly how to temper his curiosity with prudence after tangling with Polyphemus at the cost of the lives of his many men. All these intellectual curiosity enriches him with experience and wisdom during his travels. The positive part of this is that it does not deter permanently from his eternal goal of making a homecoming for his dear family. Through Odysseus and his men, the curiosity they possess helps to highlight that the entire story is not what many readers would internalize, as a collection of victory of war and plunder but it is a story of homecoming, and peace. Throughout the poem, these men led by Odysseus the hero help to unearth their love for home, love for their wives, and piety towards the gods, especially with Odysseus, that are the core values in the poem. Moreover, women’s powerful and influential role has come clearly through Odysseus encounter with the dead Hades as this exposes the true birth of Greeks civilization. In this underworld episode, Odysseus encounters women more than men. For example, he meets his own mother and then a grand assembling of women. According to what he later understands, these women were once wives and daughters of princes, important women who were legendary in the lineage of the Greeks. These recollections serve to highlight upon a reader how Greek civilization stemmed from women role (Francis and Homer 101). It is a symbol that they were the ones who brought forth to life the rulers and heroes of famous Greece. This is what makes the collection involve so much of women’s roles. For example, Athena orchestrates all the events, as seductress, such as Circle, the sirens, and Calypso attempts their desire to derail Odysseus from reaching his motherland. Others like Nausicaa, helpmeets, and Arete assist Odysseus in reaching his goal (Bloom 133). This influence cannot finish without the influence of Penelope who becomes the object of Odysseus quest, as she remains faithful despite the many suitors who came by her side in absentia of Odysseus. Therefore, The Odysseus helps to highlight a wide array of women and demonstrates the influence that women characters have extended in the life of the existence of any Hero. The Odyssey by Homer helps to print a clear understanding of the position of cultural values and the gender treatment. First, it would tantamount to highlight that the culture of the Greeks, through Odyssey, was very religious. The ancient Greeks appear as a group of people who were very religious (Neill 46). As per the Odyssey, there are so many references to gods, meaning that they had close attachments to their gods, whom they believed appeared in human form. According to their culture, these gods, in the form of human nature were endowed with exceeding superhuman strength and ageless beauty. For example, Odyssey records men’s encounter with various gods and goddesses (Bloom 81). Through Odyssey, there is also the aspect of art as part of the bigger cultural context of the people. For example, in the arts, there are various painted scenes on vases, as well as in stones. Others appear in terracotta and bronze sculptures, which turn out as beautiful carvings in honor of these gods and goddesses (Francis and Homer 78). In reference to gender, the society seemed to ascribe each gender its rightful roles according even to age sect. For example, in the Odyssey, men appear to run the governance institutions. This comes clear through the way they spend so many days away, trying to come up with the means to safely execute their mandated roles. For example, Odyssey and his entourage almost completed two centuries away from home, in order to secure a destiny for their throne. On another level, men in this culture spent the majority of their time not only in politics but also acting in the field. It is in the field, as a stipulated role for men in this cultural context, that they have to oversee or work on their plants, crops, participate in sailing, hunting, and manufacturing of trade goods (Dougherty 48). The value of men’s role is as paramount to the culture of the Greeks as only what they ought to partake is what actually the only thing they pursue to accomplish. The culture also permits men to engage in fun making activities such as drinking parties, wrestling, and horse riding. A point of note is also the treatment of women in this ancient Greek culture through The Odyssey by Homer (Neill 85). According to the poem collection, women seem to enjoy very limited freedom outside their residence. All they could participate outside their homes is only what their men had a say into to it. For example, despite Penelope being the Queen of a Hero, she stays faithful and patient in wait for her husband who to some point seemed to have died. It is a scenario that one can examine the senile nature of Penelope, as a true picture of limited women in this culture. Their role and involvement would briefly extent to attending short stints of weddings, celebration, but largely get involved in home making and bearing of kids. The culture of Greek women also forbids them to undertake any house chores for there were slaves for that category. Slaves ranged from male to female and their role even extended to tutoring the young ones of their masters (Dougherty 120). Furthermore, the cultural perception of gender, in reference to the youth treated them underage until they assumed the age of 30 years. For example, the son of Odysseus cannot accompany his father to the battleground nor even launch a rescue mission for his father when he seemed impossible for his return. Most of the scenes in this collection rarely are girls involving nature heard since they have to stay home with their mother as culture and customs dictated for such a gender (Neill 123). Therefore, cultural values and norms differ with respect to the gender in ancient Greek. In conclusion, although the works of Homer seem to dissolve with age, the book is an account of cultural value systems, the interests, and the lives of the Greek as espoused in the encounters of The Odyssey by Homer (Bloom 67). Odyssey helps to coin his journey of homecoming through well-placed powerful imagery as this depicts the human condition in such unprecedented way in those times. The Odyssey tries to trace the journey of the storm tossed man and his tribulations with different encounters and roles of women and men in that context. Odysseus encounters gods, monsters, demigods, and mythical creatures that help push his creative limits much higher. The role of men, women, and the gods in Greek thinking makes The Odyssey, not only entertaining but also informative. Work cited Bloom, Harold. Homer's "the Odyssey". New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2007. Print. Dougherty, Carol. The Cultures Within Ancient Greek Culture: Contact, Conflict, Collaboration. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print. Francis, Pauline, and Homer. The Odyssey. London: Evans, 2010. Print. Homer, and Ian C. Johnston. The Odyssey. Arlington, Va: Richer Resources Publications, 2006. Print. Neill, James. The Origins and Role of Same-Sex Relations in Human Societies. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co, 2009. Internet resource. Sai?d, Suzanne, and Ruth Webb. Homer and the Odyssey. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print. Van, Nortwick T. The Unknown Odysseus: Alternate Worlds in Homer's Odyssey. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2009. Internet resource. Read More